


White Light

by abnormaldemon



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Blood and Injury, Car Accidents, Death, Established Relationship, Feels, Fluff, M/M, Memories, Near Death Experiences, Recovery, Temporary Character Death, Time Skips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-29
Updated: 2016-03-29
Packaged: 2018-05-29 20:21:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6391894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abnormaldemon/pseuds/abnormaldemon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nathan believes that death is a worse fate than never being able to love Warren Graham.</p>
            </blockquote>





	White Light

**Author's Note:**

> I saw a prompt for something like this on tumblr and was like sure why not? Subjugate the cinnamon rolls to trauma, sure!

_This_ _is my karma._

Nathan repeated this thought over and over in his head as he was slowly starting to lose all feeling below his hips. The ground around him was wet and warm, maybe from the rain or blood, his blood. He thinks that he might be crying when loud sobs and screams ring in his ears, but that might be from the other four or three cars that totally got shit on too.

_Goddammit._

Everything is blurred and he has no idea where he even is at first. Nathan is almost sixty-seven percent sure that something has crushed his legs but he really doesn’t know how that’s possible because he thinks he remembers being in a car. Maybe he’s completely off and just got hit, instantly being paralyzed. He can still move his entire upper half but it hurts like hell due to an ugly looking cut on his left forearm, including the area around his ribs.

Nathan is okay with this, actually. He’s not scared, not really. A part of him is almost happy that it gets to end like this. All the other versions he plays out in his mind are either too good for him or just really shitty. This one is so much better. Well, minus the blood and agonizing pain, but it was numbing anyway. At least, he gets a good view of the stars.

There’s a movement to his left and Nathan turns his head to see a woman and man trying to open a passenger door to a car where another woman is trapped inside. Something is clawing at the back of his mind and he can’t quite figure out what it is. He doesn’t remember driving, now that he’s really trying to put together how the fuck he’s dying on the ground of an intersection. There was someone with him.

The lights around him are dizzying at night and the sound of blaring horns are making it extremely difficult to focus. Nathan grunts as he tries to sit himself up, failing when a sharp pain in his back and left arm sends him crashing back down. The pavement is tearing up his skin and he begins to start feeling things again. Maybe it was shock tuning it out or his lack of caring, but as he flexes his fingers and moves his neck, his chest is on fire on the outside and inside. Dread is embedded deep within him and he feels tears gathering in his eyes.

((.))

_They were leaving campus to visit Warren’s parents. It had begun to rain, the sun being blocked out by thick gray clouds. The time was a little past four and Nathan was beginning to feel the familiar anxiety he gained whenever he had to see Warren’s family. It was stupid because they were good people who raised the nerd he called his boyfriend, but it was nerve-racking too because he didn’t want to fuck it up._

_“Nervous?” Warren asks, taking his hand._

_Nathan sighed and squeezed it. “Yeah. I don’t know why, I mean, I’ve met them over twenty times now but I can never shake the damn feeling.”_

_“Trust me, they think you’re great. I can never get my mom to stop asking about you!” The younger boy complained, making a turn._

_Nathan smiled at the exasperated face Warren is making and softly ran his thumb over the other’s knuckles. Chris and Michelle had been kind to him since Warren convinced him that he was very serious about their relationship and wanted his parents to know that. The Prescott name carried a weight that caused for caution, though, the Grahams have an almost annoying way of ignoring that warning. Nathan never thought he would be happy about that._

_“When can I meet your parents?”_

_The older of the two looked towards him with a perturbed glare. Warren grinned sheepishly, keeping their hands linked, most likely to keep whatever Nathan was feeling level._

_“I mean, you’ve met mine, and you like them and they like you so…you know?”_

_“Your parents are nice people, Warren. Mine are fucking assholes.” He said without hesitance, making the younger pout, but kept his mouth shut._

_They drove the rest in silence until they arrived at a busy intersection. The sun was beginning to set and cast long shadows across the nearby buildings and connecting roads. Nathan sighed and was ready to apologize when both of their attention was captured by loud honks. Warren pulled out of the lane to drive forward when two cars collided. One clipped the edge of an SUV and rammed into them and pushed them back into the middle of the four crossways._

_Nathan and Warren’s eyes met before he felt weightless. His vision turned black and he distantly can hear metal screeching across the pavement in almost every angle around him before a large piece of debris landed on him. He screamed when bone cracked and a piece of glass was flown forward, cutting across his arm, slicing skin. Everything went blank as he passed out._

((.))

“Oh, God…no. Fuck!” Nathan’s body is racked with sobs and shakes, tears blinding the world around him. “Warren, no. Warren! Please, God, no.”

He can’t think clearly anymore, his thoughts swirling in a vortex of his lover. Images of Warren flash from his memory and urge the cascade of tears trailing down his dirty cheeks. Everything is so painful that it feels like his head is splitting open.

“Warren! Where…please, where are…you?” The taste of blood is on his tongue and moving down his chin. He moves his right arm to wipe it off, staring helplessly at the smear of crimson left behind.

Urging his battered body, Nathan applies his weight to his only useful arm to lift himself up as much as possible. Blinking tears away, he searches around him. There are about six, no, eight cars of a variety littered around. Nathan sees a semi truck far away and what look like fire. His breathing quickens as well as the pain in his lower back, but he manages to stay awake and upright.

His eyes fall on three dead bodies. Two of them are men, one older, one younger. A woman is laying on her back, eyes still open and empty, staring at the sky. Nathan doesn’t throw up at the sight but feels sick for being relieved that Warren isn’t among them.

The people who were helping the woman out of her car were gone now, along with her. He holds back another sob as he breathlessly tries to turn his body. The weight of the object on him never allowing him a chance to lift it off to help him escape. Nathan realizes that he’s in the center of everything at the moment with the crashes stretched out around him. He wonders how bad it is outside of there and if there are even more dead bodies by that semi and flames.

“Oh, Warren.” Nathan breathes out, almost gasping at how hard it’s becoming to gather air. He starts to gag and cough as blood rises in his throat and over his lips. He knows something is seriously wrong inside of him and that he’s losing quite a bit of blood. His arm is shaking now and can’t hold up any longer, so he lets himself fall back onto the pavement, harshly coughing.

Nathan’s eyes are tired and so is he. His chest rises and falls heavy and spastic at times like it was trying to get more oxygen. Nathan tried to breathe but it hurt so much that he was in tears again. His body’s movements are numb again and lazy, probably a good sign that you’re dying.

_I’m dying…_

_I’m going to die._

_Fuck!_

_Fuck, fuck, fuck!_

_Warren, please! Please!_

_I’m so fucking scared! Warren!_

“NATHAN!”

Blue eyes turned along with his head to look to his right where his name was being screamed. His body was arching upwards, arms reaching. His breath was caught in his throat when Warren emerged from behind a truck, his body illuminated by the flashing lights. His eyes were wide and searching. Nathan voicelessly called Warren, begging for him in his head.

Warren’s eyes suddenly locked on his and he gasped out, running to him. He fell to his knees beside him, the back of his hand pressed against his mouth as he took in the damage. Tears were leaking from him now as he looked down at him. He had a gash curving at his jaw and was bleeding from his right upper thigh to his knee that was cut up pretty bad. Nathan struggled for words, but only ragged coughs and blood escaped his lips.

“God, Nate, baby.” Warren choked, hand stroking his cheek as he leaned in. His head moved back towards where he came from and he yelled for someone. “Hey! Back here, I found him! Please hurry, please!”

“War-.” Another cough tore through him and the other shushed him quietly, moving his hands to the metal on top of him.

“Don’t worry, Nate. I’m going to get you out of here, j-just, fuck, keep breathing, keep your eyes open for me!”

Nathan tried his best to follow Warren’s instructions, watching him find a place to lift whatever was on him. He wanted to tell him how much he loved him, regretting that he never told him that often. It was so typical for people to do that and he’d seen it a million times but fuck it, he needed to. He was dying and he didn’t know when he would have the opportunity to tell Warren again and it was terrifying.

“…Warren…War…” His voice was weak just like the rest of him but he had to say it. Just one more time. “I…I-“He turned to spit out the red substance in his mouth, heaving afterward.

“It’s okay, Nate. Focus on breathing for me!” Warren urged, gaining a grip on the metal and pulling it, getting a shift.

There’s a haze coming over his vision and a lightheaded lull dragging at his eyes. There are more voices coming towards them and Warren starts moving frantically to pull the piece of debris. The man who was helping the trapped woman was there along with others in uniforms. He recognizes one as a firefighter.

Two fingers are pressed against his throat and their owner’s voice is wary. The others are pulling the metal from him and the weight becomes increasingly lighter on his legs. His breathing, however, is rapid with his heaving chest. He can’t move his arms anymore and his neck barely turns. Someone is touching his legs while another is cutting open his shirt to get to his chest.

Warren looks on horrified and Nathan doesn’t blame him. He moves to kneel down beside him once more and take his limp hand. There is a warmth when he does this which Nathan savors. The man in a dark uniform tells Warren something and he moves to pull up his body into his arms and Nathan immediately feel a rush of air flow back into his lungs that it becomes painful. Nathan’s blurry eyes look down at himself and he cries at all the blood. Warren whispers to him softly.

“I love you, Nate. You’re going to be okay. I love so much, please stay here with me, I love you.”

The uniforms are shouting towards blue and red lights until more appear with what looks like a small bed. His hues are staring back up at the black canvas of stars when a flurry of screams emerge. Warren is pulling him up suddenly, making him choke on the wave of utter agony ripping through him. He’s dragged by Warren who’s panicking when Nathan sees it.

A small bundle of flames by a nearby car on a dark liquid. A gust of air and the deafening boom of an explosion that shook the earth, throwing Warren and him back. A loss of touch and whispers replaced by roaring fires and death.

Nathan closed his eyes.

((.))

_The first time my father hit me._

_Kristine taking me for ice cream._

_Listening to my mother cry behind the bedroom door._

_Taking a picture with my first camera._

_Punching another boy for calling me names._

_Receiving a diploma from my father for being good._

_Sitting alone._

_Meeting Victoria._

_Seeing a therapist who tells me everything’s fine._

_I’m so angry._

_Nightmares._

_Drinking for the first time._

_DUI._

_Getting high._

_Lying to my sister._

_Telling doctors that I’m just clumsy._

_Overdose._

_Blackwell Academy._

_Paired with a nerdy boy in science class._

_Shy smiles._

_Brown eyes staring back at me._

_He said his name is Warren._

_Comfort._

_Warm arms._

_Soft words._

_Our first kiss._

_Telling friends._

_Acceptance._

_Freedom._

_Happiness._

_Making love for the first time._

_He says he loves me._

_I say I love him too._

_Euphoria._

_Meeting his parents._

_The crash._

_He’s telling me everything is okay but I know it’s not._

_I’m dying._

_Warren._

((.))

The white is overbearing when he opens his eyes. He squints at the intensity of it and takes a moment to adjust to the brightness. Eventually, everything becomes focused and somewhat clear. He swallows and grimaces at his dry throat and mouth. There is a beeping that sounds each time his chest rises and falls and he feels a large amount of relief, though, the sound was going to get old real quick.

Nathan sighs and stared upward and frowns when he expects to see a sky full of stars. He takes a moment to think why he should be seeing stars before his breath staggers and he sits up, his sore body protesting passionately. He recognizes this place as a hospital and examines himself.

He’s wearing a hospital gown with twin needles in his arms and a heartbeat monitor hooked to his pointer finger. He feels panic gripping him tightly because his body is clean of blood and dirt, all remaining on his body being faded bruises and several scars. Nathan moved to stand when he takes a moment in his state to notice a pressure in his left hand and a head of messy brown hair laying on the side of the bed.

Tears are already falling as he grips the hand tangled in his own and brings the other to comb through the locks, needing to know that this is real. Warren stirs awake and sits up, looking around groggily before sighing. His eyes find their connected hands and Nathan squeezes them. Warren’s eyes widen and snap up to look at him, body rising from the chair he was sitting.

“Nate?” He asks tentatively and Nathan cries even more until they’re both sobbing and holding each other tightly, afraid to let go of the other.

“What happened? How…Warren, oh god.” Nathan buries himself into Warren’s shoulder, who only kisses the top of his head before pulling away slightly and connecting their lips.

“You’re awake. Everything is okay, you’re okay.” He assures him and continues to hold him.

Nathan breathed in the other’s familiar scent and taste as they kissed again, melting against him. Warren told him how much he missed him and struggled to hold his tears when he admitted he had no idea what he would do without him. Nathan took his face in his hands and pressed their foreheads together, making sure that he was here with Warren, alive.

“It’s okay. I’m okay.”

((.))

The doctors told him about the condition of his legs, namely his right, since the bone had been broken severely, but was nothing over critical as it could have been if he had spent any longer trapped without oxygen reaching them. His cut on his arm was healed by then, though, he had stitches to have removed later. He had suffered from internal bleeding as well, which explained why his insides still hurt. They told him that he couldn’t walk for a while, which bothered him, but Warren was quick to sign up to be his personal caretaker.

Max, Rachel, Chloe, Victoria, and Kate all visit him in the hospital. He had about fifteen cards from classmates and teachers wishing him a speedy recovery, same with flowers. Max and Victoria were mostly the ones who would barge in with extra clothes and things for Warren and him since he was stuck there for a few more weeks and Warren refused to leave his side, not that Nathan minded. Especially when Warren’s parents swung by to hang out.

It was when his own family visited him that he wished he was dead, which always earned him a glare from Warren. He talked with Kristine when she came to see him alone, something they both preferred. She regretted not being around that often when he was younger and wished she did better in being there for him. Nathan never blamed her for their parent’s shit behavior or everything else. He joked that she was the only family member he could stand, which earned him a half-hearted punch. She said that she was happy that he was smiling again. He looked at Warren talking to a nurse outside the room and said he was too.

When Nathan was finally discharged from the hospital, he expected to see Warren’s parents picking them up but was dumbfounded when it was his father and mother. It was difficult to ride in a car again, especially with his father driving, but Warren held his hand throughout it. Nathan wasn’t scared of it happening again. He was terrified of dying and leaving Warren, who, out of both of them, went through the most hell to keep him alive and had to watch him like that. He disagrees with Nathan, but he doesn’t see the way his eyes look when he tightly holds his hand every time they take a sharp turn or come too close to a car.

However, the little prick got his wish to meet his parents. Sean and Catherine Prescott are reserved about speaking with Warren, as they are with everyone. They don’t give their approval or make it known if they find him revolting, but Nathan knows that they really can’t say shit after all the bull that he did to keep their son alive. Though, when his mother wears a small smile when she looks at them through the mirror, he has a good idea just what they think. When they finally get dropped off at Warren’s parent’s place, his mother places a kiss on his forehead while his father laid a hand on his shoulder before they were gone.

Warren is pushing him in a wheelchair given to him by the hospital to help with the no walking thing and is downright giddy. “Do you think they like me? Cause I think I was pretty charming.”

Nathan rolls his eyes and says no, making Warren question what he did wrong.

“Oh my god, what didn’t you do wrong? I’m personally horrified myself.”

“What? No! You’re lying!”

“I’m being honest with you, man. It was really bad.”

“Oh God, really? Shiiiiit, man.”

Nathan smiles as he listens to Warren worry on, enjoying the pleasant lull it put him in. It was only at night he let his exterior slip when Warren carried him to bed, did he pull the other close and kiss him, that he felt safe. He would be apprehensive about sleep, knowing what nightmares would plague him. Warm hands would rub comforting circles on his back to ease the anxiety.

“What happened to your car? You loved that thing.” Nathan says, peering up at Warren.

He shrugged. “It got totaled, but whatever, it was a piece of shit. Besides, I’d been wanting to replace that thing.”

“Ugh, you can just take my wheelchair. I want to burn it, I don’t care if I need it. I’ll just crawl.”

“I don’t know, babe. I got a thing for disabled men.”

Nathan arched a brow at him and smirked. They leaned in closer to each other until their lips were almost brushing. “I love you,” Nathan said softly before pressing forward to kiss Warren, who returned the words ever so sweetly. Their touches were delicate and careful over the scars left on their bodies. Nathan pressed a light kiss to the scar on Warren’s jaw and enjoyed the sigh that he gave.

When the two of them were this close, Nathan made sure memorize every curve of his body. Every flaw and muscle. Because to Nathan, death was a much worse fate than never being able to love Warren Graham.

**Author's Note:**

> I just want them happy.


End file.
